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Don Alejandro finally joined his 'extended' family in the tavern at the end of the afternoon, much to Leonor's delight.

By looking at her reflection in the mirror, the little girl had realised something she was looking forward to share with her father.

"Look Papá, now my hair is as short as yours!" she exclaimed. "I look like a boy," she stated matter-of-factly, not looking really bothered by this.

"You certainly don't, mi gatita," her father replied, "you're still the cutest little girl I know. And don't worry," he added in order to reassure her, "it will grow long again."

"Oh but I don't worry, Papá... That's funny!"

Ow, Don Alejandro thought, should he worry that his daughter didn't worry for that? He glanced at Araceli who had watched and heard their short exchange, and she just shrugged at him: she didn't know what to think of it either, but didn't seem to worry too much about it.

Meanwhile, Leonor had taken Diego's sketchbook and thrust it into her father's hands.

"Look Papá, look at what I have done this afternoon!" she told him when she proudly displayed her last drawing before his eyes.

"Oh!" Don Alejandro said, "it's yours and Mamá's house!"

"You recognised it?" Leonor delightfully asked, rather proud of her achievement. "Mamá! Papá recognised it!" she exclaimed for all the tavern to hear.

"I made it all alone!" she then proclaimed.

Araceli ostensibly and meaningfully cleared her voice.

"Well," her daughter qualified in a far lower voice, "Diego helped me a little bit..."

"A little bit, yes, you can say that..." Araceli pointedly said with an amused smiled, exchanging a knowing glance with Don Diego over the table.

The latter smiled back, biting his lips not to laugh. It made his dimples show even more, Victoria noticed from behind her counter.

"Indeed, Diego helped her a little bit," Araceli told Alejandro. "To put things into perspective," she added with a pointed look at Diego.

This time the young man couldn't hide his amusement any longer and openly laughed at Doña Araceli's intentional double entendre.

Victoria shrugged a bit disdainfully, with a hint of annoyance: oh, come on! Señora Valdès's pun hadn't been that funny, really! Why did Don Diego have to laugh stupidly at it, and flash his teeth in the process!

No, really! Doña Araceli wasn't that funny!

Don Alejandro guessed that some double meaning was escaping him, while his daughter remained blissfully ignorant to it. Encouraged by the success her sketch had, she then enthusiastically turned the page to her previous drawing.

"Very nice landscape," her father commented, pulling her in his lap.

"And look at what else I did this morning!" Leonor told him.

Father and daughter went on perusing through the sketchbook, turning page after page, while Diego gathered his courage to go to the counter. After the events of the previous night upstairs in her bedroom, he hadn't dared chat with Victoria, hardly even exchanged a word with her beyond the daily greetings and ordering a drink. Thank God she didn't know it was him she so boldly tried to seduce a few hours ago. Didn't know it was him, Diego de la Vega, whom she dragged onto her bed. Didn't know it was along his bare chest she had run her fingers and palms up and down...

Stop! Stop thinking of that, he chided himself. And find something anodyne to tell her.

"Hola Victoria..." he started, not having a clue as to what to say next.

"Hola Don Diego", she answered rather coolly.

Was it his imagination, or Victoria's tone had just been rather... sharp? What did he do? Oh Dios! did she know it was him?

Diego panicked. He desperately search his brain for something to say, but she cut him short:

"It seems you're rather... delighted... with your future step-mother," she said in a slightly brisk tone.

What?! was all what Diego's suddenly frozen mind could come up with.

"What?!" he said aloud. "My what?"

Step-mother? Did she just say step-mother? And did she stress the word?

"Well," Victoria commented, still looking a bit cold but also now surprised, "I suppose that if Don Alejandro made her and your sister come here and finally introduced them to you, it's because he has decided to regularise the situation, right?"

Diego felt the blood drain from his face. He hadn't thought about that! But of course Victoria, as well as the rest of the pueblo, couldn't know that what prompted his father to finally set up this family reunion and make the introductions was in fact a despicable blackmail. But now that the secret was out in the open, perhaps... perhaps...

Well, apparently, if his father didn't think of it yet, other people obviously did for him!

Or perhaps he already did, and it was what the previous night between him and Doña Araceli had been about?!

Suddenly, Diego forgot anything about his own unease towards Victoria after his narrow escape from her bold advances.

But he remembered what his father had told him the day before: he had already proposed to Doña Araceli years ago as his duty demanded in order to put things right, and she declined the offer. Not much had changed in her situation since then, so there was no reason that she'd have now changed her mind about it, right?

Of course, Victoria didn't know about that either, but it bothered Diego a bit that Victoria of all people might have a wrong opinion of his father, a man she had always respected, esteemed and liked.

"Victoria," he told her conspiratorially, "I'm going to tell you something on that subject, but you must swear you won't tell a soul..."

She looked at him, clearly at a loss.

"And," he went on, "you must also swear you won't tell my father I told you about it!"

Victoria wondered what made him require so much secrecy from her, but she was so curious that she decided she wouldn't lose time asking him why the need for secret now that all of Los Angeles knew that Don Alejandro de la Vega had an illegitimate child.

"I swear," she simply said, eager to hear what he had to tell her.

He hesitated a bit, looked around them – good, everyone was otherwise occupied and no one was paying attention to their conversation – and finally leaned forward to her ear.

"As a matter of fact, he already proposed marriage to her when he knew she was with child, but she said no."

At this stunning revelation Victoria took a step back, probably to assess whether Don Diego was serious or whether he was pulling her leg. Seeing that he wasn't joking, she didn't say a thing but her eyes grew wide.

"No?" Victoria asked.

"No," he confirmed. "And I have no reason to think he lied to me about that. Not to mention that it's more like him."

"Of course it is..." she pensively stated. "But why did you make me swear secrecy? It's entirely to his credit, that he offered to do the honourable thing!"

"Yes, but..." Diego reluctantly answered, "well, Victoria, men don't really like everyone to know they've been turned down, you know... It's quite a blow to the ego... in addition to hurting..."

"Oh, I see..." Victoria said understandingly. "Yes, it's a matter of wounded pride..." she told him before pausing a bit. "And of broken heart of course," the eternal romantic in her added.

Broken heart...? Diego wondered. His father assured him it hadn't really been a love story between them, he remembered. It hadn't, right?

"A blow to his ego, yes," he repeated, deliberately ignoring Victoria's last comment. "You have no idea what being turned down can do to male pride. And to self-confidence, too," he said as a conclusion.

Oh, yes, Victoria remembered: Zafira... Poor Don Diego! Not only had the misunderstanding between them broken his heart, but it had also apparently crushed his self-confidence with other women...

But really, he didn't have any reason to doubt himself and feel insecure! He was really kind and nice, great-hearted, he wasn't worse-looking than just any other, he was rich, he was educated, refined, had a good figure – no Victoria, stop seeing his backside before your mind's eye! – he was smart, pleasant to chat with, had charm and so one... No, really, Victoria couldn't see why he would doubt his chances of success with women.

Was the sad fact that he was stood-up at the altar all these years ago the reason why he hadn't reportedly courted any woman these past years? Was it the reason why he did never try his hand at winning over the heart of the mystery women he once told her he had feelings for?

And Señora Vadlès, why did she turn Don Alejandro down, particularly in her situation? Really, what was wrong with these women? And who did she think she was, thinking she could do better than him?

A sudden thought crossed Victoria's mind, and she really didn't like it. What if Doña Araceli thought that Don Alejandro was now too old for her? Perhaps she finally considered that she preferred younger men, after all? A man with the same kind of charm as Don Alejandro's, but more in her age range?

{/Oh dear!/] Thinking of how Señora Vadlès had exchanged private jokes with Don Diego a few minutes earlier, and how she had made him laugh, Victoria felt a bit queasy. No really, no! It was a truly sick idea, considering that he was her daughter's brother! Really, Victoria told herself, she had to save him from this... this... this Jezebel!

z ~ z ~ z ~ z ~ z ~ z ~ z ~ z ~ z

Alejandro was idly perusing through the sketchbook, turning the pages backwards, looking at Leonor's childish drawings. Then, behind a clumsy scribbling representing a rose, he discovered a far more expert representation of what he recognised as his own rose garden, and Alejandro remembered it was in fact Diego's sketchbook. For lack of anything better to do he went on perusing through it; not that he had much interest for art but well, for once he had some time to kill...

A view of his rose garden, a portrait of a pensive Felipe, some sketches of their horses – oh, Dulcinea's legs were nicely rendered! – a portrait of Victoria, one of a smiling Padre Benitez, a landscape – a canyon with a very narrow stream – another portrait of Victoria, his hacienda seen from the garden, a portrait of Diego's deceased mother made after a painting hung in her son's bedroom, Alejandro recognised it – did the boy actually remember her features for real, he wondered wistfully, or had they eventually faded in his memory? – yet another portrait of Victoria – again! – Felipe reading a book, Victoria daydreaming...

Alejandro looked at all of his son's drawings, from last to first, and he found that Victoria Escalante was very present in Diego's sketchbook. Very much.

He raised his nose from the book and glanced in his son's direction: he seemed to be deep in conversation with Victoria, leaning over the counter, hanging on her every word...

Oh, Don Alejandro thought as a hidden door slowly opened in his mind, could it be that Diego...

Oh! Oooh... Diego...

Victoria?

Victoria Escalante?

He looked back at some of his son's many portraits of his old friend Alfonso Escalante's daughter...

Diego...

Was it why his son hadn't courted any young woman since he came back from Spain, hadn't even seemed remotely interested in doing so? And why he was also rather reluctant toward the nice young and single ladies his father had purposely invited to his hacienda over the past years?

Victoria Escalante... Just his luck, Alejandro thought. Really, couldn't his son have a crush on a woman who wasn't head over heels for a man Diego couldn't compete with?

Zorro was all what Diego wasn't. How could his son ever dream winning her heart over, when he so clearly wasn't her type?

Well, obviously Diego wasn't hoping anything in that area, according to how he had always eluded all of his fatherly concerned questions about his future... Poor boy...

No! Alejandro suddenly decided. Diego wasn't a 'poor boy'; he was a de la Vega. He was a fine man with manners and knew how to treat a lady, and there was no reason to think he couldn't woo a woman and win her over from any man. Any. Even if he needed some fatherly nudge in the right direction. Except that Diego could sometimes be more stubborn than a mule, especially when his father was trying to meddle with his love life. Or lack of, to be more accurate.

Well, he'd just have to be more subtle about it this time... To keep a low profile... To keep his cards close to his chest... and to conceal his true motives as well as Zorro concealed his face.

When he saw his son come back to the table looking pensive, Don Alejandro noticed that Victoria seemed both rather grim and fierce. Had Diego told her something stupid again? Had he ruined his chances? Well, if so, better sort things out as soon as possible. And if not, time to pave the way for his hopeless son.

No, not 'hopeless', he reminded himself. All what Diego needed was a helping hand to give him faith in his abilities and in his lucky star. Zorro my friend, you're an exceptional and very fine man, the most admirable I know, but my son is more important to me. Sorry, but all is fair in love and war. May the best suitor win!

"You look as though there is something you're not telling me, Father," Diego told him. Any matrimonial plan? the concerned son worried inwardly, throwing a glance in Doña Araceli's direction. He really didn't know how he'd feel about his father remarrying, but one thing was sure: the few times he had vaguely thought of this possibility, he had always imagined some elderly pepper-and-salt-haired lady dressed in brown, and certainly not someone his own age wearing pink or azure frilly dresses!

"Victoria, my dear!" his father called out.

"Si, Don Alejandro?" she answered, coming to their table.

"Would you by any chance be free to have dinner with us at the hacienda tonight?"

"Tonight?" she asked. "I didn't know you were throwing a party, Don Alejandro..."

I didn't know either, Diego thought inwardly. Did he have an announcement to make? he wondered worryingly.

"Oh, no I'm not," Alejandro answered, "but it's just been quite some time since you had a night off, hasn't it? And I miss chatting with you about everything and nothing for more than a couple of minutes." He paused, pondering whether to add that Diego might miss it too, but he finally thought better not to mention his son, so as not to scare him away or being too obvious. "And that way, you'll make better acquaintance with Leonor... that's important to me that such a good friend as you now gets to know her. So, any chance you could find a replacement for you at the tavern tonight?"

Victoria glanced at Doña Araceli, who wondered why Don Diego a few seconds earlier, and Señorita Escalante just now seemed to suddenly be so interested in her. What had gotten into them? What had Alejandro said that had them glance at her that way?

"I'll be delighted to, Don Alejandro" Victoria answered, looking sideways at Señora Valdès and then at Don Diego. "I'm sure I can still find a replacement, even on such a short notice..."

And if not, she was even determined to close the tavern for the night: no way she would miss a chance to watch over Don Diego and Doña Araceli, and prevent him from falling into this Messalina's clutches.

"Wonderful!" Don Alejandro said. "Tonight, then?"

"Tonight."

They got up and were about to pay her when Alejandro gave his sketchbook back to Diego.

"You're really talented," he told him. "I loved the way you portrayed your mother... and your drawing of the rose garden is really beautiful."

Diego was surprised. It was the first time his father praised his artistic work.

Alejandro, for his part, was pleased with himself. He had purposely brought up Diego's talents in Victoria's presence of course, and his allusion to the rose garden wasn't anodyne: women loved flowers, and it was always helping setting a mood appropriate to romance... Suddenly, the image of Araceli's garden formed in his mind, but he pushed it away: better leave the past where it was...

"Yes, your drawings are very beautiful, Diego," Leonor told him shyly. "Would you... could you... make one for me? Please..."

Diego was surprised but very pleased to be at the receiving end of a rare compliment, and he grinned at her.

"Of course I will, Leonor," he answered gently. "What would you want me to draw?"

"Err..." she said, thinking hard, scrunching her nose with the effort. "Oh, I know! I'd like a portrait of Papá! Could you do that?"

"Yes, of course!"

"Great! That way I will have him always with me," Leonor said, grinning from ear to ear, "and I'll be able to see him as much as I want even when he's not in San Diego!"

Oh my God! Araceli thought. She knew her little girl missed her father and regretted she couldn't see him more often, but it was one thing to know it and another one to hear it expressed that way. She felt bad for never having thought of asking a portrait of him for Leonor's bedroom.

Alejandro wasn't feeling better about it either. He felt really bad for not being able to be more present in his daughter's life, and he blamed himself for it.

Diego felt bad toward her, because he could see their father every day.

Victoria, as for her, was feeling very awkward and very out of place in this family matter.

And Concepcion, as a servant, was used to witness personal moments and not react to them.

But Leonor was totally oblivious to what her spontaneous comment had triggered. She was going to have a nice portrait of her papá made by her big brother who, all things considered, wasn't a giant bogeyman. Just a giant man. Who looked a bit like her.

And she now had a funny-looking hair cut. It tickled her neck. And no more tangled-up hair until some time!